Psalm 23 - He Leads Me Beside Quiet Waters

How is it that the Shepherd helps us not to want?

He makes me lie down in green pastures – He provides REST
He leads me beside still waters – He provides REFRESHMENT

Phillip Keller paraphrasing the line “He leads me beside quiet waters” puts it like this, He [the Good Shepherd] alone knows where the still, quiet, deep, clean, pure water is to be found that alone can satisfy His sheep and keep them fit and strong” (A Shepherd Looks at the 23 Psalm, pp. 51).

Water for the sheep came from three sources;

(1) Dew on the grass
(2) Deep wells and springs
(3) Streams

In this post I want to discuss how these three sources represent the quiet waters.

Refreshed by the Early Morning Dew

Sheep can go for months without actually drinking, if there is heavy dew on the grass each morning. Sheep generally feed before dawn and sometimes at night if there is a bright moonlight. According to Keller,

“There is no more resplendent picture of still waters than the silver droplets of the dew hanging heavy on leaves and grass at the break of day” (pp. 52).

This requires that the Shepherd be willing to rise early in the morning to lead the flock to the vegetation. There seems to be a real connection between being refreshed and rising early in the morning.

Psalms 5:3
3 In the morning, O LORD, Thou wilt hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to Thee and eagerly watch.

Psalms 59:16
16 But as for me, I shall sing of Thy strength;
Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Thy lovingkindness in the morning,
For Thou hast been my stronghold,
And a refuge in the day of my distress.

Psalms 90:5-6
5 Thou hast swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep;
In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it flourishes, and sprouts anew;
Toward evening it fades, and withers away.

Psalms 90:14
14 O satisfy us in the morning with Thy lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Mark 1:35
35 And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there.

John 8:1-2
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.

Those who are often the most serene, confident and able to cope with the complexities of life are those who rise early in the morning to feed on God’s word.

“It is in the quiet, early hours of the morning that they are lead beside the quiet, still waters where they imbibe the very life of Christ for the day” (Keller pp. 52)

One comes away from those times of meditation, reflection and communion with Christ refreshed in mind and spirit. The thirst is slaked and the heart is quietly satisfied.

Refreshed by Deep Wells and Springs

Deep Wells

The deep wells are the result of someone’s hard work. Not only in digging out the well, but in maintaining it. More importantly, in order for the sheep to enjoy the water from a well the shepherd had to bring the water to them.

“I recall so clearly standing under the blazing equatorial sun of Africa and watching the native herds being led to the owner’s water wells. Some of these were enormous, hand-hewn caverns cut from the sandstone formation along the sandy rivers. They were like great rooms chiseled out of the rocks with ramps running down to the water trough at the bottom. The herds and flocks were led down into these deep cisterns where…..water awaited them. But down in the well, stripped naked was the owner bailing water to satisfy the flock. It was hard, heavy, hot work” (Keller pp. 65).

Everything depended on the diligence and hard work of the owner. It was only through his energy and effort that the sheep could be satisfied. How often do we try to satisfy our thirst on our own by pursuing other substitutes like careers, entertainment, friends, hobbies, parties, politics, sports, drugs, alcohol etc. Unfortunately these things leave us panting and dissatisfied.

We are like the Samaritan woman Jesus met at Jacob’s well.

John 4:6-14
6 and Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 The Samaritan woman therefore said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 11 She said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? 12 "You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?" 13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. "

Only the Lord can truly satisfy our longings and meet our needs. In times of despair and trials only the water from the deep wells of God can satisfy.

Psalm 22:11-15; 42:1-11

Psalms 36:7-9
7 How precious is Thy lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings.
8 They drink their fill of the abundance of Thy house;
And Thou dost give them to drink of the river of Thy delights.
9 For with Thee is the fountain of life;
In Thy light we see light.

Springs

The most reliable and refreshing sources of water in Palestine were the natural springs. This water was dependable, clear, cool and satisfying. In contrast, the most unreliable source of water was cisterns. Cisterns were large pits dug into the rock and covered with plaster. These pits were used to gather rain water.

Jeremiah 2:13
13 "For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves cisterns,
Broken cisterns,
That can hold no water.

According to Jeremiah, Israel committed two sins, the first being a sin of omission, forsaking the Lord God. The second sin was that of replacing God with false idols, a sin of commission. Man’s heart, like nature, abhors a vacuum.

From God (the fountain) flows water that is clean, pure, fresh, and clear. As the fountain the water is always available (full). The water in the broken cisterns was stale, muddy and because they were cracked, empty. Jeremiah 2:13 is a compelling picture. It is an accurate portrayal of broken lives – shattered hopes – of barren souls that are dried up and parched and full of dust and despair.

Jeremiah 17:13
13 O LORD, the hope of Israel,
All who forsake Thee will be put to shame.
Those who turn away on earth will be written down,
Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD.

Jesus made it clear that the thirsty souls of men and women can only be fully satisfied by coming to him. In John 7:37, he stated, "If any man thirsts, let him come to me and drink." Our Shepherd leads us beside the still waters.

Refreshed by Streams
David says, that the shepherd “leads me beside quiet waters." The Hebrew literally reads: “He leads me beside the waters that have been made to rest.”

According Keller, sheep are very afraid of running water. They know instinctively that if water should get on their coats of wool they would become water logged and sink beneath the stream. So, often as the flock has traveled during the day and the hot sun of the Middle East, they would come into the afternoon to a running stream. There is fresh, crystal clear water, what the sheep need for refreshment, but, the sheep will not drink. They will stand at the side and look at the water but draw back in fear of what will happen.

And so, the Shepherd comes and taking his rod and staff he pries free a few large stones and there by the side of the stream he damns up a quiet place. There where the water has been a threat to the sheep he makes the waters quiet and he allows them to drink.

Psalms 46
1 For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to Alamoth.
A Song.

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.
Selah.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
10 "Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Selah.
Robert Munger penned a great little booklet called, “My Heart Christ’s Home.” In it He describes how that Jesus transformed each room in the home of his heart as Christ settled down to reside in it. As Jesus came to the Living room, Munger writes,

We moved next to the living room. This was a quiet, comfortable room with a warm atmosphere. I liked it. It had a fireplace, sofa, overstuffed chairs, a bookcase and an intimate atmosphere.

He also seemed pleased with it. He said, “Indeed, this is a delightful room. Let’s come here often. It’s secluded and quiet, and we can have good talks and fellowship together.”

Well, naturally, as a young I was thrilled. I couldn’t think of anything I would rather do than have a few minutes alone with Christ in close companionship.

He promised, “I will be here every morning early. Meet me here and we will start the day together.”

So, Morning after morning, I would go downstairs to the living room. He would take a book of the Bible from the bookcase, open it, and we would read it together. He would unfold to me the wonder of God’s saving truth recorded on its pages and make my heart sing as he shared all he had done for me and would be to me. Those times together were wonderful. Through the Bible and his Holy Spirit he would talk to me. In prayer I would respond. So our friendship deepened in these quiet times of personal conversation.

However, under the pressure of many responsibilities, little by little, this time began to be shortened. Why, I’m not sure. Somehow I assumed I was just too busy to give special, regular time to be with Christ. This was not a deliberate decision, you understand; it just seemed to happen that way. Eventually not only was the period shortened, but I began to miss days now and then……..Matters of urgency demanding my attention were continually crowding out the quiet times of conversation with Jesus. Often I would miss it two days in a row or more.

One morning, I recall rushing down the steps in a hurry to be on my way to an important appointment.

As I passed the living room, the door was open. Glancing in I saw a fire in the fireplace and Jesus sitting there. Suddenly, in dismay, it came to me, “He is my guest. I invited him in to my heart! He has come as my Savior and Friend to live with me. Yet here I am neglecting him.”

I stopped, turned and hesitantly went in. With downcast glance I said, “Master, I’m sorry! Have you been here every morning?”

“Yes,” He said, “I told you I would be here to meet with you.” I was even more ashamed! He had been faithful in spite of my faithlessness. I asked him to forgive me and he did, as he always does when we acknowledge our failures and want to do the right thing.

He said, “The trouble is that you have been thinking of the quiet time, of Bible study and prayer, as a means for your own spiritual growth. This is true, but you have forgotten that this time means something to me also. Remember, I love you. At a great cost I have redeemed you. I value your fellowship. Just to have you look up into my face warms my heart. Don’t neglect this hour if only for my sake. Whether or not you want to be with me, remember I want to be with you. I really love you.”
You know, the truth that Christ wants my fellowship, that he loves me, wants me to be with him and waits for me, has done more than transform my quiet time with God than any other single fact. Don’t let Christ wait alone in the living room of your heart, but every day find a time and place when, with the Word of God and in prayer, you may be together with him (pp. 12-16).